Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower Review

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Is Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower the right resort for your Disney World Vacation? In this post, I will share our experience and opinions of Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower so you can decide if this resort is right for you.

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This October, I spent nearly a week at Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower during a Disney Content Creator Retreat that I was co-hosting (read more about the Spark & Inspire Retreat Here). Before this visit, the last time I stayed at Coronado Springs Resort was back in 2016 when our children were just 8 & 10 years old. Back then, there was no tower – they didn’t even begin building until 2018. The Gran Destino Tower officially opened in July 2019.

Coronado Springs Resort is a very large moderate resort located in the Animal Kingdom area. For this visit, we stayed in the Tower, which is a newer, separate building from the original resort, which houses a Convention Center, which is busy year-round. Conferences and events are held at the Convention Center, and you might run into guests there for everything from a karate competition to a business convention. Staying in the tower was a nice change with a more modern, upscale feel and a bit less congested than the older section.

Overview Of Disney’s Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower

Disney’s Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower is categorized as a moderate resort. This resort is just as beautiful and luxurious as Disney’s Deluxe resorts – you just miss out on a few deluxe resort benefits. The pricing is a bit higher than Value resorts but less than a Deluxe resort. You’ll find extra amenities and nicer quality features at this moderate resort than at Disney’s Value resorts.

The THEME & ATMOSPHERE at Disney’s Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower: 

This resort has a mix of Spanish, Mexican, and American Southwest theming and has beautiful decor to go with that theme. The resort is beautiful and truly feels like a high-end deluxe resort. The feel around the resort is very relaxed with vibrant colors and decor.

Coronado Springs Resort is split into 3 areas. The regular Coronado Springs Resort, the Convention Center and the Gran Destino Tower. For this review, we will be focusing on the Gran Destino Tower and El Centro, which houses dining and shopping options as well as the lobby for Coronado Springs.

LOCATION OF Disney’s Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower

Disney’s Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower Resort is located in the Animal Kingdom area. It is very close to Animal Kingdom Park, and the distance to the other parks is fairly reasonable. It is built around Lago Dorado, a 22-acre lake.

Map of Disney’s Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower

Click the map below to enlarge:

Transportation At Disney’s Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower

Transportation offered at this resort is primarily via Disney Buses. You also have access to Lyft, Uber, and Disney’s Minnie Vans. Transportation for us is the biggest negative of this resort; however, we really don’t mind paying for a Lyft here and there if we’re on a time crunch or if we don’t want to deal with crowds on the buses.

Many people wonder if the Gran Destino Tower has its own bus. It shares a bus with the rest of the Coronado Springs Resort, which can mean you have longer waits.

Some reviews online have reported waiting up to 35 minutes for a bus during busy times, because many buses are full when they arrive. This is something to consider when you are thinking about staying here. We did not run into this problem, but that could have been because it was a slower time of year.

The Tower bus stop is often the last to be picked up for parks, and the first for drop-off from the Parks. Often the order is reversed for Disney Springs, with the Tower being the first pickup.

To prepare for using the buses at Coronado Gran Destino Tower, you may want to call ahead and verify the order of bus stops and plan accordingly. I would recommend trying to get to the first park pick-up location in the early mornings if you are hoping to rope drop. This might mean walking over to the Casitas in the morning to get on the first bus before it is full. Internal bussing can be confusing, but Disney cast members are always happy to help you figure it out.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO EACH PARK FROM Coronado Springs Destino Tower?

Because of the internal resort bus loop, you can expect it to take around 20 minutes to get to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs can be 10-15 minutes since they are closer.

ROOM OPTIONS AVAILABLE AT Coronado Springs Destino Tower

We stayed in a room with 2 queen beds. These room fits up to four people, with most rooms having two queen beds. You can also request a crib if needed.

The rooms in the tower offer 2 views: a resort view (we had the parking lot out of our windows) and a water view with views of the Lago Dorado lake. The different room configurations are listed below:

• Standard Room: 2 queens (Standard view or Water View available)
• King bed with 1 king bed – Sleeps 2 Adults – (Standard view or Water View available) (Views of courtyard, landscaping or parking lot)
• Deluxe Studio – 1 King Bed and 1 Queen Size Sleeper Sofa with separate living area and kitchenette (no sink, drink cooler (no fridge). (Views of courtyard, landscaping or parking lot)
• 1 Bedroom Suite with 1 King Bed and 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa (Sleeps 4 Adults) with a living room area, Dining table for 4, 1 1/2 bathrooms, and a kitchenette (no sink, drink cooler (no fridge). (Views of courtyard, landscaping or parking lot)
• Presidential Suite with 1 King Bed and 2 Queen Beds (Sleeps up to 6 Adults). Living room, Dining room with seating for 8, and a full kitchen. (Views of courtyard, landscaping or parking lot)

ROOM FEATURES AND DECOR 

The standard rooms are furnished with a small table and 2 chairs. The beds are very comfortable! The headboards are lovely, and there’s plenty of space under the beds for your luggage, which is a huge space saver and something I think is important if you’re traveling with lots of luggage. 

The rooms at The Gran Destino Tower have lots of helpful items that you’ll probably need during your stay. 

You will find plenty of plugs and USB outlets throughout the rooms. There are 2 USB and 2 standard plugs between the beds at the nightstand. You will also find 4 more USB and 4 more plugs at the dresser. This is so helpful if you’re charging phones, MagicBands, rechargeable power banks, fans, or other electronics. 

Most rooms at Gran Destino Tower will also have the new Hey Disney Alexa gadget that you might find helpful. You can also play a few games on Hey Disney!

THE BATHROOM LAYOUT AT the Coronado Gran Destino Tower:

The vanity and shower area is separated from the main area with a sliding door. In the bathroom area, you will have a second door to divide the toilet from the shower and vanity.

This is not a great layout if you are traveling with multiple people because the shower is typically in the same room as the toilet, so someone can be showering while other guests are using the sink area to get ready. With this layout in the bathroom, if someone is in the shower, other guests can’t get to the sinks or even the toilet without entering the shower area.

You’ll always find Disney bath products (formerly H2O products) in the shower, including Body Wash, shampoo, and Conditioner.  We also received a bar of soap and a shower cap. These are usually placed beside the sink area. Sometimes these items may vary.

Storage in the bathroom area included an extra shelf at the vanity in front of the mirror, where we like to keep our toothbrushes, haircare, and makeup products. There are also small shelves below the sink and 2 cabinets to store your items. There is also an area under the vanity if you travel with a folding laundry basket or storage box.  

The closet is a wardrobe space where you’ll find 10-15 hangers. You can always request more hangers if you need them. The locking safe is in this area too, as well as an iron and an ironing board.

STORAGE IN THE ROOM

You’ll find large drawers under the TV and coffee area where you can store your clothes. You will have to share one nightstand between the beds, which was not ideal for us. We ended up storing our luggage beside the bed to use as a make-shift table.

We requested a cot for our room, which was great! This way all 3 of us had our own beds, and the cot was surprisingly comfortable. Cots are available on a first-come first-served basis.

OTHER IN-ROOM AMENITIES

Each room also comes with a Keurig and coffee pods, teabags, creamer, and sugar.  

If you use all of the coffee or tea, you can call housekeeping and request more. There’s also an ice bucket you can use and fill at the ice machines throughout the resort.

Food and Drinks – Dining at the Coronado gran destino Tower

Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood

You will find Toledo Tapas, Steak & Seafood at the top of the Gran Destino Tower. You can read my full review of Toledo restaurant at Disney World. They serve delicious Spanish-inspired tapas and steak. The interior is gorgeous, and you’ll have beautiful rooftop views

Maya Grill

This table-service restaurant is located on the Coronado Springs resort section, offering Spanish dishes.

Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago

Three Bridges Bar & Grill is located in the middle of the lake (Lago Dorado). It offers casual dishes like burgers, wings, and also including spanish-inspired dishes.

Quick-Service Dining

El Mercado de Coronado

You will find the quick-service food court in the main dining and shopping hub, El Centro. This is a pretty typical quick-service dining option that offers tacos, bowls, burgers, pizza, and breakfast items. This is where you will refill your soda and coffee. It can get quite busy when there is a conference but there is plenty of seating throughout the dining area.

Honestly, this is one of my least favorite quick-service locations at Disney Resorts. Luckily, there are other dining options at the resort to choose from.

Siesta Cantina Pool Bar

The pool bar also has some quick grab burgers and lunch foods while you enjoy the pool.

Cafe Rix

You might miss this cafe if you’re not paying attention. You’ll find the entrance to the cafe right after the merchandise shop, sometimes you can get to the cafe from inside the shop as well. Their hours are limited; when we visited, they were open from 7 am – 12:30 pm. They serve coffee and espresso beverages as well as pastries. They also have a small case where you can grab a salad, sandwich, yogurt parfait, fresh fruit, and other small bites.

This is a great spot to grab a quick bite or coffee before heading to the parks.

Rix Bar and Grill

Rix Bar and Grill is located in El Centro, the main dining and shopping area. You can enjoy a delicious brunch at Rix Bar and Grill, have a drink at the bar, or have a delicous sit down dinner. You can read see our review of Rix Bar and Grill on the blog here.

Lounges & Bars

Dahlia Lounge

You’ll find the Dahlia Lounge on the top floor of the tower, next to Toledo. This is a great spot to get a drink and sit outside on the rooftop patio. We were even able to see a bit of the fireworks from this spot.

Barcelona Lounge

The Barcelona Lounge is in the lobby of the Gran Destino Tower. It is a beautiful space where you can order coffee and pastries during the day and drinks and lite bites at night.
Coffee, pastries, light bites

Pool Bars

Siestas Cantina

Located at the main pool area, the Siestas Cantina offers quick-service food, sodas, and alcoholic drinks.

Laguna Bar

This bar is located outside of El Centro, along the lake.

The Pools At Coronado Springs Resort Gran Destino Tower

The main pool at Coronado Springs is in an area called The Dig Site, with the centerpiece 50-foot Mayan-themed pyramid, where you will find the Lost City of Cibola pool. This large pool has plenty of comfortable seating, umbrellas, and a 123-foot-long waterslide.

You will find the largest hot tub in Walt Disney World here, with room for 22 people!

Leisure Pools

There are also 3 additional leisure pools at the Casitas, Ranchos, and Cabanas.

The tower, surprisingly, does not have its own private pool, but you can walk over to any of the leisure pools – the Cabanas pool is the closest.

Other Activities at the Dig Site

There are many other activities at the resort, many located at the Dig Site. You’ll find sand volleyball courts, a playground, an arcade, and ping pong tables in this area.

Other Activities At Coronado Springs Resort:

You’ll find two hands-on activities at Coronado Springs Resort. You create your own Disney-inspired souvenir at the Spanish Mosaic Art Workshop and the Colors of Coronado Painting Experience. These activities can be booked online. They are considered one of Disney’s Enchanting Extras experiences. There is an additional cost to both of these, and the activities usually last about two hours. These activities are perfect for a relaxing resort day.

MOVIE UNDER THE STARS.

You can enjoy Movies at the Gran Destino Tower lawn most Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. Check the activities poster for updated times and locations.

The Cost To Stay At Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort

***Update this: Rooms cost vary from around $250 up to over $400 (for prime dates)

The cost of a standard room varies depending on the time of year, discounts available, or the day of the week. Prices for the standard room can fall between $300 – $500/night.

Is the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Good For Families?

I think there are many reasons to love the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort. The price point is great if you are looking for a deluxe stay at a moderate price. The pool is a highlight of the resort, our kids loved the waterslide when we stayed there, The Disney theming is NOT great, which might disappoint many families.

This resort is a perfect fit for couples who prefer a more elevated resort with great dining options. If you are going to be spending most of your time in the parks and not using the amenities at the resort, I would recommend checking out some less expensive value resorts like Pop Century, or the All Star Resorts (Sports, Movies, or Music) if you’re looking for more Disney theming. You may prefer the Caribbean Beach Resort if you are looking to save a little money but have better transportation options.

Have you stayed at the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort? What did you think about it? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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